Autonomous vehicle, autonomous vehicle dispatch system, and mobile terminal

ABSTRACT

A mobile terminal includes an input unit that is capable of receiving input of a dispatch request and a destination and a position determiner that is capable of obtaining a terminal position which is its own current position. In accordance with the dispatch request, an autonomous vehicle is designated as a vehicle that is to be dispatched. The autonomous vehicle includes an autonomous driving controller that performs driving control so as to track the mobile terminal based on the terminal position while on its way to pick up the user.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No.2021-028176 filed on Feb. 25, 2021, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety including the specification, claims, drawings,and abstract.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present specification discloses an autonomous vehicle, an autonomousvehicle dispatch system, and a mobile terminal.

BACKGROUND

Services in which autonomous vehicles are used as taxis are calleddriverless taxi (or robot taxi) services. In this type of service, atraveling route from a pickup location to a destination is automaticallygenerated, and an autonomous vehicle autonomously travels along thistraveling route.

For example, according to JP 2007-58345 A, in a taxi service in which avehicle operated by a human driver is used, a current location obtainedusing a GPS function of a mobile terminal is set as a departure location(pickup location), a traveling route from the departure location to adestination is determined, and a taxi fare corresponding to thistraveling route is calculated.

In some driverless taxi services, for example, a designated waiting areanear a current position of a user is designated as a pickup location,and the user moves to the designated waiting area. The presentspecification discloses an autonomous vehicle, an autonomous vehicledispatch system, and a mobile terminal that enable improved userconvenience in a driverless taxi service, especially in terms of settinga pickup location.

SUMMARY

The present specification discloses an autonomous vehicle dispatchsystem. The autonomous vehicle dispatch system includes a mobileterminal and an autonomous vehicle. The mobile terminal, which iscarried by a user, includes an input unit that is capable of receivinginput of a dispatch request and a destination and a position determinerthat is capable of obtaining a terminal position which is its owncurrent position. In accordance with the dispatch request, theautonomous vehicle is designated as a vehicle that is to be dispatched.The autonomous vehicle includes an autonomous driving controller thatperforms driving control so as to track the mobile terminal based on theterminal position while on its way to pick up the user.

With the above-described structure, as the autonomous vehicle tracks theuser while traveling autonomously on its way to pick up the user, it isnot necessary for the user to move to a designated waiting location,which enables improved convenience.

In the above-described structure, the autonomous vehicle dispatch systemmay include a vehicle control device that is capable of communicationwith the mobile terminal and the autonomous vehicle. In this case, theinput unit of the mobile terminal is capable of receiving input of oneof the terminal position and a nearby waiting location provided aroundthe terminal position as a pickup location. The vehicle control deviceincludes a traveling route generator that generates a traveling routethat connects from a current position of the autonomous vehicle to thedestination via the pickup location and a transceiver that is capable oftransmitting information concerning the traveling route to theautonomous vehicle. After reception of the dispatch request, thetransceiver intermittently receives information concerning the terminalposition from the mobile terminal. In response to detecting, based onthe intermittently received terminal position, that the mobile terminalis moving away from the pickup location over time, the traveling routegenerator designates the most recently received terminal position as anew pickup location and regenerates a traveling route that passesthrough the new pickup location. In response, the autonomous drivingcontroller of the autonomous vehicle performs the driving control basedon the regenerated traveling route.

With the above-described structure, when, for example, the user attemptsto move closer to the destination on foot rather than wasting time justwaiting for the vehicle to arrive and pick them up, the pickup locationis changed successively as the user moves, which enables performingautonomous driving so as to follow the moving user in order to meetthem.

In the above-described structure, the mobile terminal may include adisplay that is capable of displaying a map image which depicts thetraveling route.

With the above-described structure, the traveling route may be presentedto the user to persuade the user to move along the traveling route. Thisdiscourages the user from deviating from the traveling route and canthereby prevent the user and the dispatched vehicle from missing eachother. In the above-described structure, the vehicle control device mayinclude an arrival time calculator that calculates an estimated time ofarrival at which the dispatched vehicle is expected to arrive at thepickup location. In this case, the display of the mobile terminal iscapable of displaying the estimated time of arrival.

With the above-described structure, as the user is informed of theestimated time of arrival of the dispatched vehicle, the user can beprovided with information upon which to base a decision as to whether tostay at the pickup location or to start walking toward the destinationon their own.

The present specification also discloses an autonomous vehicle. Theautonomous vehicle is capable of communication with a mobile terminal.The mobile terminal includes an input unit that is capable of receivinginput of a dispatch request and a destination and a position determinerthat is capable of obtaining a terminal position which is its owncurrent position. In response to output of the dispatch request from themobile terminal, in accordance with the dispatch request, the autonomousvehicle is designated as a vehicle that is to be dispatched. Thisautonomous vehicle includes an autonomous driving controller thatperforms driving control so as to track the mobile terminal based on theterminal position while on its way to pick up the user.

In the above-described structure, the input unit of the mobile terminalmay be capable of receiving input of one of the terminal position and anearby waiting location provided around the terminal position as apickup location. In this case, the autonomous vehicle includes atraveling route generator that generates a traveling route that connectsfrom the vehicle's current position (a “self vehicle position”) to thedestination via the pickup location. After reception of the dispatchrequest, in response to detecting, based on the terminal position thatis intermittently output from the mobile terminal, that the mobileterminal is moving away from the pickup location over time, thetraveling route generator designates the most recently received terminalposition as a new pickup location and regenerates a traveling route thatpasses through the new pickup location. In response, the autonomousdriving controller performs the driving control based on the regeneratedtraveling route.

The present specification also discloses a mobile terminal. The mobileterminal includes an input unit that is capable of receiving input of adispatch request and a destination; and a position determiner that iscapable of obtaining a terminal position which is its own currentposition. The input unit is capable of receiving input of one of theterminal position and a nearby waiting location provided around theterminal position as a pickup location for an autonomous vehicle that,in accordance with the dispatch request, is designated as a vehicle thatis to be dispatched.

In the above-described structure, the mobile terminal may include adisplay that is capable of displaying a map image which depicts atraveling route that connects from a current position of the autonomousvehicle to the destination via the pickup location. In this case, inresponse to the mobile terminal itself moving away from the pickuplocation over time, the display displays the traveling route for whichthe most recent terminal position is designated as a new pickuplocation, and which is regenerated so as to pass through the new pickuplocation.

In the above-described structure, the display may be capable ofdisplaying an estimated time of arrival at which the dispatched vehicleis expected to arrive at the pickup location.

The autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle dispatch system, and themobile terminal disclosed in the present specification enable improveduser convenience in a driverless taxi service, especially in terms ofsetting a pickup location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on thefollowing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating an autonomousvehicle dispatch system according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an autonomous vehicleaccording to the illustrated embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating the autonomous vehicledispatch system according to the illustrated embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a driving control flow (1 of 2) of the autonomousvehicle according to the illustrated embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a driving control flow (2 of 2) of the autonomousvehicle according to the illustrated embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an image of a driverless taxi app that is being executed, theimage illustrating an instance in which a dispatch request is input;

FIG. 7 is an image of the driverless taxi app that is being executed,the image illustrating an instance in which a destination is input;

FIG. 8 is an image of the driverless taxi app that is being executed,the image illustrating an instance in which the destination isconfirmed;

FIG. 9 is an image of the driverless taxi app that is being executed,the image illustrating an instance in which a pickup location isselected;

FIG. 10 is an image of the driverless taxi app that is being executed,the image illustrating an instance in which the pickup location isconfirmed;

FIG. 11 is an image of the driverless taxi app that is being executed,the image illustrating an instance in which a vehicle that is to bedispatched is selected (wide area selection);

FIG. 12 is an image of the driverless taxi app that is being executed,the image illustrating an instance in which a vehicle that is to bedispatched is selected (zoomed-in selection);

FIG. 13 is an image of the driverless taxi app that is being executed,the image illustrating a navigation screen used while the vehicle is onits way to pick up the user;

FIG. 14 is an image of the driverless taxi app that is being executed,the image illustrating a navigation screen used while the vehicle is onits way to pick up the user after the pickup location is changed;

FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram illustrating an autonomous vehicledispatch system according to a modification example of the illustratedembodiment;

FIG. 16 illustrates a driving control flow (1 of 2) of an autonomousvehicle according to the modification example of the illustratedembodiment; and

FIG. 17 illustrates a driving control flow (2 of 2) of the autonomousvehicle according to the modification example of the illustratedembodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings. The shapes, materials, numbers,and values in the following description are given by way of illustrationand may be modified as desired according to specifications of anautonomous vehicle dispatch system. In the following description,equivalent elements in all drawings are denoted by the same referencenumerals.

FIG. 1 illustrates a hardware configuration of an autonomous vehicledispatch system according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3 illustrates adiagram including functional blocks as part of this system. Theautonomous vehicle dispatch system according to the illustratedembodiment includes an autonomous vehicle 10, a vehicle control device50, and a mobile terminal 70.

The autonomous vehicle 10, the vehicle control device 50, and the mobileterminal 70 are capable of communication with each other via acommunication platform such as the

Internet 90. The autonomous vehicle 10 is capable of moving throughautonomous driving, and the mobile terminal 70 is carried by a user whouses a driverless taxi service that is provided by the autonomousvehicle 10. As such, the autonomous vehicle 10, which is mobile, and themobile terminal 70 are capable of communication with the vehicle controldevice 50 via wireless communication.

Autonomous Vehicle

FIG. 2 illustrates an outer appearance of the autonomous vehicle 10. Forexample, the autonomous vehicle 10 is a small vehicle that is designedto carry one or two passengers, and which is also called a personalmobility vehicle or a micromobility vehicle.

The autonomous vehicle 10 is capable of autonomous driving at, forexample, driving automation level 4 or 5 defined by the United StatesSociety of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The autonomous vehicle 10 mayinclude steering equipment such as a steering wheel in the cabin so thatit can be manually operated by an onboard user.

In the autonomous vehicle dispatch system according to the illustratedembodiment, the autonomous vehicle 10 serving as a personal mobilityvehicle is used as a driverless taxi. In particular, when it is used byone passenger, it provides a higher degree of user flexibility than whenused by a large group of users. For example, during a period of time inwhich a user waits for the autonomous vehicle 10 that is on its way topick up the user, the user may change their mind and wish to beginwalking toward the destination, rather than waiting at the initially setpickup location.

In consideration of the above, in the dispatch system according to theillustrated embodiment, as will be described below, when, in accordancewith a dispatch request, the autonomous vehicle 10 is designated as avehicle that is to be dispatched, autonomous driving control of theautonomous vehicle 10 is performed so as to track the mobile terminal 70that is carried by a person (user) who wishes to use the driverless taxiservice, while on its way to pick up the user.

Specifically, in the dispatch system according to the illustratedembodiment, a position of the mobile terminal 70 (terminal position) isintermittently obtained. The pickup location is changed if it isdetected that the mobile terminal 70 is moving away from the pickuplocation over time. When changed, the pickup location is set to the mostrecently received terminal position. Additionally, a traveling route isregenerated so as to pass through the new, post-change pickup location,which enables providing a pickup service that is also able to respond toa user's change of mind.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the autonomous vehicle 10 is a batteryelectric vehicle (BEV) that includes a rotary electric machine 17(motor) serving as a drive source and includes a battery (notillustrated) serving as an electric power source. As described above,the autonomous vehicle 10 is a small vehicle that is designed to carryone or two passengers. As such, due to its vehicle size, the batteryspace is limited, and therefore the range is also limited. Inconsideration of the above, a driverless taxi service is deployed usingthe autonomous vehicle 10 as a means of, for example, short-distancetransportation in urban areas.

As a driving control mechanism, the autonomous vehicle 10 includes asteering mechanism 15 configured to steer wheels 16 and a brakemechanism 14 configured to brake the wheels 16. The steering mechanism15 includes, for example, a tie rod (not illustrated) configured to turnthe wheels 16 for steering and a steering motor (not illustrated) thatis capable of moving the tie rod in the vehicle width direction. Thebrake mechanism 14 includes, for example, a disc brake mechanism (notillustrated) and a motor pump (not illustrated) configured to adjust theoil pressure of brake oil in the disc brake mechanism (in other words,the pressure applied to press brake pads against the brake disc). Theautonomous vehicle 10 includes an inverter 18 configured to control theoutput of the rotary electric machine 17.

The autonomous vehicle 10 also incorporates a mechanism that enablesautonomous driving (also called “self-driving”). Specifically, as themechanism that enables autonomous driving, the autonomous vehicle 10includes a camera 11A, a LiDAR unit 11B, a proximity sensor 12, aposition determiner 13, and a controller 20.

Referring to FIG. 2, the autonomous vehicle 10 has a sensor unit 11 oneach of its front, back, and sides. The sensor unit 11 includes thecamera 11A (see FIG. 1) and the LiDAR unit 11B.

The LiDAR unit 11B is a sensor unit for autonomous driving, in whichLiDAR (light detection and ranging), that is, a technique of measuring adistance from a nearby object with laser light, is used. The LiDAR unit11B includes an emitter configured to emit infrared laser light towardoutside the vehicle, a receiver configured to receive reflected light,and a motor configured to rotate the emitter and the receiver.

For example, the emitter emits infrared laser light towards the areaaround the vehicle. When the laser light emitted from the emittercollides with a nearby object in the area of the autonomous vehicle 10,its reflection is received by the receiver. Based on the length of timeas measured from the emission from the emitter to the reception by thereceiver, a distance between the point of reflection and the receiver isdetermined. As the emitter and the receiver are rotated using the motor,a laser beam is scanned in both horizontal and vertical directions sothat three-dimensional point group data concerning the surroundingenvironment around the autonomous vehicle 10 can be obtained.

Returning to FIG. 1, the camera 11A captures an image with a field ofview similar to that of the LiDAR unit 11B. The camera 11A includes, forexample, an image sensor such as a CMOS sensor or a CCD sensor. An imagecaptured by the camera 11A (captured image) is subjected to imagerecognition as will be described below, to recognize a nearby objectaround the autonomous vehicle 10. The coordinates of distance-measuringdata obtained by the LiDAR unit 11B and the coordinates of the capturedimage are then aligned with each other to enable detection of whatattribute the object has and how far it is away from the autonomousvehicle 10.

The proximity sensor 12 is, for example, an infrared sensor, which isprovided on each of the vehicle's front, back, and sides as illustratedin FIG. 2. For example, when the autonomous vehicle 10 arrives at thepickup location, the proximity sensor 12 detects a projection such as asidewalk curb. This detection enables curb docking to control theautonomous vehicle 10 to get close to and stop along the curb.

The position determiner 13 is a system that performs positionmeasurement using satellites; for example, a GNSS (global navigationsatellite system) may be used. The position determiner 13 and a dynamicmap are used as will be described below, enabling estimation of a selfvehicle position with an accuracy of within a satellite positioningerror range.

The controller 20 may be, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU)of the autonomous vehicle 10 and is composed of a computer (electroniccalculator). The controller 20 includes, as its hardware configuration,an input and output controller 21 that controls data input and output.The controller 20 also includes, as processors, a CPU 22, a GPU 23(graphics processing unit), and a DLA 24 (Deep Learning Accelerator).The controller 20 also includes, as memory, a ROM 25, a RAM 26, and ahard disk drive 27 (HDD). It should be noted that an SSD (solid-statedrive) or another memory device may be used in place of the hard diskdrive 27. These components are connected to an internal bus 28.

At least one of the ROM 25 and the hard disk drive 27 serving as amemory device stores a program for performing autonomous driving control(also called “self-driving control”) of the autonomous vehicle 10. Thisprogram when executed by, for example, the CPU 22 of the controller 20provides the controller 20 with functional blocks as illustrated in FIG.3. The above-described program may be stored in a non-transientcomputer-readable storage medium such as a DVD so that the program whenexecuted by the CPU 22 provides functional blocks as illustrated in FIG.3. As such, the controller 20 includes, as functional blocks, a scandata analyzer 40, a self position estimator 41, an autonomous drivingcontroller 42, a transceiver 43, and a navigation map memory 44.

The scan data analyzer 40 obtains a captured image that is captured bythe camera 11A. The scan data analyzer 40 performs image recognition onthe obtained captured image using a known deep learning approach such assupervised learning based SSD (Single Shot Multibox Detector) or YOLO(You Only Look Once). Through this image recognition, detection of anobject in the captured image and recognition of its attribute (forexample, vehicle, pedestrian, or building) are performed.

The scan data analyzer 40 also obtains three-dimensional point groupdata from the LiDAR unit 11B. The scan data analyzer 40 then clustersthe three-dimensional point group data into a plurality of clusters. Thescan data analyzer 40 generates surrounding data by aligning thecoordinates of the captured image that has been subjected to the imagerecognition with the coordinates of the three-dimensional point groupdata that has been subjected to the clustering. Based on the surroundingdata, what attribute the object has and how far it is away from theautonomous vehicle 10 can be detected. This surrounding data istransmitted to the self position estimator 41 and the autonomous drivingcontroller 42.

The self position estimator 41 obtains self position information(latitude, longitude, and altitude) from the position determiner 13. Forexample, the self position estimator 41 obtains self positioninformation from satellites. The self position estimator 41 may correctthe self position information obtained from the position determiner 13.For example, the self position estimator 41 performs matching between athree-dimensional image from a dynamic map (described below) stored inthe navigation map memory 44 and a surrounding image captured by thescan data analyzer 40. The self position estimator 41 further obtainsself position information that is determined on the dynamic map throughthe matching and uses this position information to compensate for apositioning error by the position determiner 13. The self positioninformation (self vehicle position information) obtained in this manneris transmitted to the autonomous driving controller 42.

Navigation map data is transmitted from the vehicle control device 50 tothe transceiver 43. As will be described below, this navigation map dataincludes dynamic map data and traveling route information. Thenavigation map data received by the transceiver 43 is stored in thenavigation map memory 44.

The autonomous driving controller 42 performs driving control of theautonomous vehicle 10 based on the navigation map data stored in thenavigation map memory 44, the self position information (self vehicleposition information) transmitted from the self position estimator 41,and the surrounding data transmitted from the scan data analyzer 40.

For example, based on the self position and the traveling route includedin the navigation map data, a global path is set. A local path is thenset based on the surrounding data so that, for example, an obstructionin front is avoided. According to these paths, the autonomous drivingcontroller 42 controls the brake mechanism 14, the steering mechanism15, and the inverter 18.

Vehicle Control Device

The vehicle control device 50 is installed in, for example, the premisesof a driverless taxi service provider company. The vehicle controldevice 50 is composed of, for example, a computer (electroniccalculator). Referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle control device 50includes, as its hardware configuration, an input and output controller51, a CPU 52, an input unit 53, and a display 54. The vehicle controldevice 50 also includes, as memory, a ROM 55, a RAM 56, and a hard diskdrive 57 (HDD). These components are connected to an internal bus 58.

At least one of the ROM 55 and the hard disk drive 57 serving as amemory device stores a program for performing autonomous driving controlof the autonomous vehicle 10. This program when executed by, forexample, the CPU 52 of the vehicle control device 50 provides thevehicle control device 50 with functional blocks as illustrated in FIG.3. The above-described program may be stored in a non-transientcomputer-readable storage medium such as a DVD so that the program whenexecuted by the CPU 52 provides functional blocks as illustrated in FIG.3. As such, the vehicle control device 50 includes, as functionalblocks, a traveling route generator 60, a transceiver 61, an operationinformation checker 62, a navigation map generator 63, an arrival timecalculator 64, a dynamic map memory 66, a user registration informationmemory 67, and a clock 68.

The dynamic map memory 66 is capable of storing dynamic map data. Thedynamic map is a three-dimensional map which contains, for example,positions and shapes (three-dimensional shapes) of roads.Three-dimensional shapes of roads include, for example, their gradientsand widths. The dynamic map also contains, for example, positions oftraffic lanes, pedestrian crossings, stop lines, and other road markingson roads. Additionally, the dynamic map also contains, for example,positions and shapes (three-dimensional shapes) of buildings, trafficsignals, and other constructions near roads. Further, the dynamic mapalso contains, for example, positions and shapes of parking lots.

For example, a geographic coordinate system including latitude andlongitude is used for the dynamic map. During autonomous driving of theautonomous vehicle 10, the autonomous vehicle 10 obtains the latitudeand longitude of its self position (self vehicle position) from the selfposition estimator 41 and thereby estimates the self position on thedynamic map.

Based on a pickup location and a destination transmitted from the mobileterminal 70 and a current position of the autonomous vehicle 10, thetraveling route generator 60 generates a traveling route on the dynamicmap. This traveling route connects from the current position of theautonomous vehicle 10 to the destination via the pickup location.Referring, for example, to FIG. 13 which will be described below,hatching represents a traveling route 111 which connects from a parkinglot 108A to a destination 106 via a pickup location 107.

The navigation map generator 63 generates a navigation map image whichdepicts the traveling route generated by the traveling route generator60. For example, dynamic data depicting the traveling route istransmitted to the autonomous vehicle 10. Also, two-dimensional mapimage data depicting the traveling route is transmitted to the mobileterminal 70.

The arrival time calculator 64 calculates an estimated time of arrivalat which the autonomous vehicle 10 is expected to arrive at the pickuplocation while on its way to pick up the user and calculates anestimated time of arrival at which the autonomous vehicle 10 is expectedto arrive at the destination after the user's ride. For example, thearrival time calculator 64 obtains speed limit and traffic congestioninformation concerning the traveling route and obtains the current timefrom the clock 68 to calculate these two types of estimated times ofarrival.

The operation information checker 62 obtains operation informationconcerning a plurality of autonomous vehicles 10 which provide adriverless taxi service. For example, the operation information checker62 confirms whether each of the autonomous vehicles 10 is being used asa driverless taxi or is vacant. The operation information checker 62also confirms the state of charge of each of the autonomous vehicles 10.As will be described below, the state of charge of each of theautonomous vehicles 10 is used as information upon which to base adecision when selecting a vehicle.

The user registration information memory 67 stores driverless taxiservice account information. The account information includes, forexample, user's name and birth date, an identification code for themobile terminal 70, and cumulative use time. In particular, storing theidentification code for the mobile terminal 70 enables intermittentlyaccessing the mobile terminal 70 while an autonomous vehicle 10 is onits way to pick up the user to obtain position measurement information,as will be described below.

Mobile Terminal

The mobile terminal 70 is a communication terminal device that iscarried by a user who uses a driverless taxi service. The mobileterminal 70 may be, for example, a smartphone. FIG. 1 illustrates ahardware configuration of the mobile terminal 70. The mobile terminal 70includes an input and output controller 71, a CPU 72, an input unit 73,a display 74, and a position determiner 78. The mobile terminal 70 alsoincludes, as memory, a ROM 75, a RAM 76, and a storage device 77. Thesecomponents are connected to an internal bus 79.

The input unit 73 and the display 74 may be integral with each other inthe form of a touch panel. As will be described below, the input unit 73is capable of receiving input of a dispatch request, a pickup location,and a destination in the process of using a driverless taxi service.

The position determiner 78 is capable of obtaining a terminal positionwhich is its own current position. For example, the position determiner78 is a system that performs position measurement using satellites,which is similar to the position determiner 13 of the autonomous vehicle10; for example, a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) may beused.

At least one of the ROM 75 and the storage device 77 serving as a memorydevice stores a program for using a driverless taxi service that isprovided by the autonomous vehicle 10. This program when executed by,for example, the CPU 72 of the mobile terminal 70 provides the mobileterminal 70 with functional blocks as illustrated in FIG. 3. Theabove-described program may be stored in a non-transientcomputer-readable storage medium such as a DVD so that the program whenexecuted by the CPU 72 provides functional blocks as illustrated in FIG.3. As such, the mobile terminal 70 includes, as functional blocks, atransceiver 80, an authenticator 81, and a driverless taxi app 82.

As will be described below, the authenticator 81 is provided toauthenticate the passenger when they enter or exit the autonomousvehicle 10. To use a driverless taxi service, the driverless taxi app 82is activated by the user of the mobile terminal 70.

For example, in response to the activation of the driverless taxi app82, the display 74 displays an input form where account information(such as the user's name and the identification code for the mobileterminal 70) is input. The account information that has been input isstored in the user registration information memory 67 of the vehiclecontrol device 50. Various types of settings or selections are performedthrough the operation of the driverless taxi app 82 along a drivingcontrol flow that will be described below.

Driving Control Flow

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a driving control flow in a dispatch system forthe autonomous vehicle 10 according to the illustrated embodiment. Thisdriving control flow provides an example of a dispatch flow (or pickupflow) that starts from a point in time when a driverless taxi serviceuser calls a driverless taxi and proceeds until the autonomous vehicle10 is sent to the pickup location. The autonomous vehicle 10 thentransports the passenger from the pickup location to the destination;this transportation flow is also included in the driving control flow.When a distinction is made between the dispatch flow and thetransportation flow, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a process from thestart step to step S44 corresponds to the dispatch flow (or pickupflow), and a process from step S46 to the end step corresponds to thetransportation flow.

The flowchart in FIGS. 4 and 5 indicates which device performs eachstep. (U) represents a user terminal, that is, the mobile terminal 70that the user is carrying. (C) represents the vehicle control device 50,and (V) represents the autonomous vehicle 10.

FIGS. 6 to 14 illustrate images that are displayed on the display 74 ofthe mobile terminal 70 during the execution of the driving control flowin FIGS. 4 and 5. The images are displayed in response to the driverlesstaxi app 82 controlling the display 74.

For example, FIGS. 6 to 14 provide an example in which the user rides inthe autonomous vehicle 10 from a station 101 to a hospital 102 using adriverless taxi service. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 14, amap image 100 shows parking lots 108A, 108B, and 108C where autonomousvehicles 10 can wait.

Users who wish to use a driverless taxi service complete userregistration prior to use. The user can then use a driverless taxiservice by opening the driverless taxi app 82 on the mobile terminal 70(user terminal) and logging in by entering the account ID and passwordset during the user registration process.

When logging in to the driverless taxi app 82, the account ID serving asa user identification code, the identification code for the mobileterminal 70 (user terminal), and other information are transmitted tothe vehicle control device 50. The vehicle control device 50 retrieves,from the user registration information memory 67, user information(including the user name and the history of use) that is associated withthe received account ID.

The vehicle control device 50 obtains the current position (terminalposition) from the position determiner 78 of the mobile terminal 70,extracts map information concerning an area near the terminal positionfrom the dynamic map memory 66, and then transmits the extracted mapinformation to the mobile terminal 70. The driverless taxi app 82 of themobile terminal 70 causes the received map image 100 (see FIG. 6) to bedisplayed on the display 74. The map information includes a mark imagerepresenting a terminal position 103 that is superimposed on the mapimage 100.

The driverless taxi app 82 causes a message box 104A to be superimposedon the map image 100. This message box 104A includes selection buttons105A (YES) and 105B (NO) that enable selection of whether or not to makea driverless taxi dispatch request. For example, the selection button105A is clicked in response to the user tapping on the touch panel thatintegrates the input unit 73 and the display 74, to thereby input adispatch request (S10 in FIG. 4).

To simplify the operation, the process may proceed assuming that adispatch request is input when the user opens the driverless taxi app 82and then enters the account ID and the password to log in.

After a dispatch request is input, as illustrated in FIG. 7, thedriverless taxi app 82 causes a message box 104B to be displayed on themap image 100 to prompt for input of a destination. As prompted by thismessage box 104B, the user of the mobile terminal 70 inputs adestination (S12 in FIG. 4).

For example, any desired point on the map image 100 that is displayed onthe touch panel that integrates the display 74 and the input unit 73,such as a pixel within the display area of the hospital 102, may bedesignated by the user through, for example, tapping. After adestination is input, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the driverless taxi app82 causes a message box 104C to be displayed on the map image 100 toprovide a confirmation message that the destination has been set.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the driverless taxi app 82 causes amessage box 104D to be displayed on the map image 100 to prompt forsetting of a pickup location. The pickup location is the location atwhich the user boards the autonomous vehicle 10 that is a dispatchedvehicle, and the message box 104D includes a button 105D that enablesselection of any desired location as the pickup location by the user anda button 105C that enables selection of the user's current position,that is, the terminal position 103, as the pickup location. Theselection buttons 105C and 105D are operable (capable of receivinginput) via the input unit 73 on the touch panel.

For example, when the autonomous vehicle 10 is expected to arrive at thepickup location in a short time, or under bad weather conditions such asrain, the terminal position 103 is selected as the pickup location. Onthe other hand, when, due to, for example, traffic congestion around thecurrent position, it is expected to take a long time to arrive at thepickup location and the weather is fine, a location that is closer tothe destination 106 than the terminal position 103 may be selected asthe pickup location, so that the user can move even a little toward thedestination by themselves. In this case, the selection button 105D isselected through, for example, tapping by the user. Any desired locationon the map image 100 is then designated as the pickup location by theuser through, for example, tapping.

One of the parking lots 108A, 108B, and 108C, which are nearby waitinglocations provided for the autonomous vehicles 10 around the terminalposition 103, may also be selected as the pickup location, and in thiscase as well, the selection button 105D is selected through, forexample, tapping by the user. After the selection button 105D isselected, one of the parking lots 108A, 108B, and 108C on the map image100 is designated as the pickup location by the user through, forexample, tapping.

It should be noted that, when, for example, the current position or theselected pickup location is located in a no parking or stopping zone, alocation outside that zone may be set as the pickup location.

When the basic settings define that every autonomous vehicle 10 performstracking driving control as will be described below, the terminalposition 103 may be always (automatically) set as the pickup location.Such settings enable relieving the user from having to set the pickuplocation.

In response to the terminal position 103 being designated as the pickuplocation (S14), for example, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the driverlesstaxi app 82 causes a mark image representing the pickup location 107 tobe superimposed at the terminal position 103 on the map image 100.Additionally, the driverless taxi app 82 causes a message box 104E to bedisplayed on the map image 100 to provide a confirmation message thatthe pickup location 107 has been set.

Next, the driverless taxi app 82 transmits, to the vehicle controldevice 50, information concerning the pickup location that has been set(S16). In response, the vehicle control device 50 searches for a vacantvehicle in the vicinity of the pickup location (S18). For example, thevehicle control device 50 obtains position information concerning allautonomous vehicles 10 that are under the control of the vehicle controldevice 50, from the position determiner 13 of each of the vehicles viathe transceiver 43. The operation information checker 62 of the vehiclecontrol device 50 then searches for an autonomous vehicle 10 that hasnot been dispatched, or, in other words, that is vacant (waiting to beassigned a passenger) at the time of search.

Based on the information obtained as described above, the operationinformation checker 62 extracts autonomous vehicles 10 that are vacantand located near the pickup location, as dispatchable vehicles. Vehicleinformation concerning each of the dispatchable vehicles, includingidentification number, body color, state of charge, and otherinformation, and the position information are then transmitted from theoperation information checker 62 to the mobile terminal 70 (userterminal) (S20). Dispatchable vehicle count data, the number ofdispatchable vehicles in the parking lots 108A, 108B, and 108C whereautonomous vehicles 10 are waiting, is also transmitted to the mobileterminal 70.

In response to the mobile terminal 70 receiving information concerningthe dispatchable vehicles and the parking lots 108A, 108B, and 108C, thedriverless taxi app 82 of this terminal causes the informationconcerning the dispatchable vehicles to be displayed on the map image100 as illustrated in FIG. 11. For example, the driverless taxi app 82causes message boxes 104F, 104G, 104H to be displayed on the map image100 to indicate counts of dispatchable vehicles that are waiting in therespective parking lots 108A, 108B, and 108C. Additionally, thedriverless taxi app 82 causes to be displayed on the map image 100 acruising dispatchable vehicle 110, which is vacant and traveling on aroad, and a message box 1041.

The dispatchable vehicle selection image in FIG. 11 provides for widearea selection, and in response to selection of one of the parking lots108A, 108B, and 108C through, for example, tapping by the user, azoomed-in image for narrowed-down selection as illustrated in FIG. 12 isdisplayed. Specifically, the driverless taxi app 82 causes a message box104J to be displayed on the map image 100 to provide vehicle informationconcerning dispatchable vehicles in the selected parking lot (in FIG.12, the parking lot 108A). This message box 104J includes a display areathat displays the vehicle information concerning dispatchable vehicles,and this area itself functions as selection buttons 105E, 105F, 105G,105H, and 1051.

In response to selection of one of the selection buttons 105E, 105F,105G, 105H, and 1051 through, for example, tapping by the user (S22),vehicle information such as an identification code for the selectedautonomous vehicle (vehicle that is to be dispatched) is transmittedfrom the mobile terminal 70 to the vehicle control device 50. Thetraveling route generator 60 of the vehicle control device 50 generatesa traveling route that connects from the current location of theautonomous vehicle to the destination 106 via the pickup location 107(S24). Then, based on the generated traveling route, the arrival timecalculator 64 calculates an estimated time of pickup location arrival(the time at which the dispatched vehicle is expected to arrive at thepickup location 107 after it starts from the current location) and anestimated time of destination arrival (the time at which the dispatchedvehicle is expected to arrive at the destination 106 after it startsfrom the pickup location 107 (S26)). These estimated times of arrivalare calculated based on, for example, information concerning trafficcongestion and speed limits along the route of travel.

The navigation map generator 63 generates data including the map image100 with the traveling route superimposed thereon. The map image 100with the traveling route superimposed thereon, and informationconcerning the estimated time of pickup location arrival and theestimated time of destination arrival are transmitted from thetransceiver 61 of the vehicle control device 50 to the mobile terminal70 and to the autonomous vehicle 10 that is selected as a vehicle thatis to be dispatched (S28).

In response, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the driverless taxi app 82 ofthe mobile terminal 70 causes the map image 100 with the traveling route111 superimposed thereon to be displayed on the display 74.Additionally, the driverless taxi app 82 causes a message box 104K andan image of a dispatched vehicle 112 to be superimposed on the map image100. The message box 104K provides vehicle information, an estimatedtime of pickup location arrival, and an estimated time of destinationarrival.

Letting the user know the estimated time of pickup location arrivalenables providing the user with information upon which to base adecision as to whether to wait at the pickup location 107 or whetherthey should start moving toward the destination 106 on their own.

In response to receiving the map image 100 as illustrated in FIG. 13 andinformation concerning the estimated time of pickup location arrival andthe estimated time of destination arrival from the vehicle controldevice 50, the dispatched vehicle 112 autonomously drives toward thepickup location 107 (S30). Specifically, based on the dynamic datastored in the navigation map memory 44 and the traveling route 111, theautonomous driving controller 42 performs autonomous driving control.

During a period in which, after a dispatch request is received, thedispatched vehicle 112 is on its way to pick up the user, or, in otherwords, moving from the parking lot 108A to the pickup location 107, thetransceiver 61 of the vehicle control device 50 intermittently obtainsthe position of the mobile terminal 70 (user terminal), that is, theterminal position 103 (S32). For example, the transceiver 61 obtains theterminal position 103 at intervals of one minute. For example, thetransceiver 61 accesses the authenticator 81 of the mobile terminal 70to receive permission to obtain data, and then obtains positioninformation from the position determiner 78.

Based on the intermittently received terminal position, the travelingroute generator 60 determines whether or not the terminal position movesaway from the pickup location 107 over time. Specifically, the travelingroute generator 60 determines whether or not the distance between thepickup location 107 and the terminal position 103 has increased comparedto that when the previous terminal position was obtained (S34).

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the distance between theterminal position 103 and the pickup location 107 may increase comparedto that when the terminal position was obtained at the previous time(for example, one minute ago). This indicates that the user is movingaway from the pickup location 107. That is, it appears that the user nolonger intends to wait at the pickup location 107; as such, thetraveling route generator 60 resets the pickup location.

It should be noted that, rather than comparing the distance between themost recent terminal position and the pickup location 107 with thedistance between the immediately previously obtained terminal positionand the pickup location 107, for example, the change in distance over aplurality of most recent instances (for example, five instances) may bedetermined, and the pickup location may be reset when the[added toclarify what distance is “this (the) distance”; please feel free todelete if inappropriate.] distance gradually increases.

When resetting the pickup location, the traveling route generator 60designates the most recently received terminal position 103 as a newpickup location 117 (S36). Then, referring to FIG. 4, the processreturns to step S24, in which the traveling route generator 60 generatesthe traveling route 111 that passes through the new pickup location 117.In response, the autonomous driving controller 42 performs drivingcontrol based on the regenerated traveling route 111.

As described above, even after the pickup location has once been set,the pickup location is changed flexibly in accordance with the user'sbehavior, or, in other words, by tracking the user. This enables theuser to feel free to move away from the pickup location 107 as theywish, rather than simply waiting for the dispatched vehicle 112 at theinitially set pickup location 107.

Returning to step S34, when the distance between the pickup location 107and the terminal position 103 is the same as or has decreased comparedto that when the previous terminal position was obtained, autonomousdriving of the dispatched vehicle 112 is continued along the existingtraveling route 111. The dispatched vehicle 112 obtains positioninformation from the position determiner 13 and determines whether ornot the dispatched vehicle 112 itself has arrived at the pickup location107 (S38). When it has not yet arrived at the pickup location 107, thedispatched vehicle 112 returns to step S30 and continues autonomousdriving.

Upon arriving at the pickup location 107, the dispatched vehicle 112stops there (S40) and waits for the user to enter the vehicle. Thevehicle control device 50 obtains position information concerning thedispatched vehicle 112 intermittently (for example, at intervals of fiveseconds) and, in response to the vehicle's arrival at the pickuplocation 107, transmits to the mobile terminal 70 (user terminal) anannouncement that the dispatched vehicle 112 has arrived at the pickuplocation (S42).

The driverless taxi app 82 of the mobile terminal 70 causes a message tobe displayed on the map image 100 to indicate, for example, that thedispatched vehicle 112 has arrived at the pickup location. The vehiclecontrol device 50 then determines whether or not the user's entry hasbeen confirmed (S44). For example, an authentication device (notillustrated) provided in the dispatched vehicle 112 and theauthenticator 81 of the mobile terminal 70 perform an authenticationprocess using wireless means such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Aresult of this authentication is transmitted from the dispatched vehicle112 to the vehicle control device 50 and leads to the determination thatthe user has entered the dispatched vehicle 112.

In response to the confirmation of the user's entry, the pickup processis completed. The dispatched vehicle 112 resumes autonomous drivingalong the traveling route (S46). During autonomous driving, thedispatched vehicle 112 determines its own position using the positiondeterminer 13 and determines whether or not it has itself arrived at thedestination 106 (S48). When the dispatched vehicle 112 has not arrivedat the destination 106, autonomous driving is continued.

On the other hand, the vehicle control device 50 obtains positioninformation concerning the dispatched vehicle 112 intermittently (forexample, at intervals of five seconds) and, in response to the vehiclearriving at the destination 106, transmits to the mobile terminal 70(user terminal) an announcement that the dispatched vehicle 112 hasarrived at the destination (S50).

The driverless taxi app 82 of the mobile terminal 70 causes a message tobe displayed on the map image 100 to indicate, for example, that thedispatched vehicle 112 has arrived at the destination 106. The vehiclecontrol device 50 then determines whether or not the user's exit hasbeen confirmed (S52). For example, the authentication device (notillustrated) provided in the dispatched vehicle 112 and theauthenticator 81 of the mobile terminal 70 perform an exit process usingwireless means such as Bluetooth. A result of this process istransmitted from the dispatched vehicle 112 to the vehicle controldevice 50 and leads to the determination that the user has exited thedispatched vehicle 112.

As described above, in the autonomous vehicle dispatch system accordingto the illustrated embodiment, driving control of the autonomous vehicle10 is performed so as to track the user. As such, rather than waiting atthe pickup location for the dispatched vehicle 112 that is on its way topick up the user, the user may begin walking toward the destination asthe dispatched vehicle 112 tracks the user. The ability to be picked upin this manner enables improved user convenience in terms of setting apickup location.

Modification Example of the Illustrated Embodiment

Although, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, generation of mapdata and confirmation of the user's entry and exit are performed by thevehicle control device 50, these processes may be performed by theautonomous vehicle 10. For example, FIG. 15 illustrates an autonomousvehicle dispatch system according to a modification example of theillustrated embodiment.

FIG. 15 differs from FIG. 3 in that the vehicle control device 50 doesnot include the traveling route generator 60, the navigation mapgenerator 63, or the arrival time calculator 64, and instead thecontroller 20 of the autonomous vehicle 10 includes a traveling routegenerator 47, a navigation map generator 45, an arrival time calculator46, a clock 48, and a dynamic map memory 49.

A driving control flow performed by the dispatch system illustrated inFIG. 15 is illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17. When compared to theflowchart in FIGS. 4 and 5, steps S24, S26, S28, S32, S34, S42, S44,S50, and S52 performed by the vehicle control device 50 are replacedwith steps S124, S126, S128, S132, S134, S142, S144, S150, and S152 inwhich the same processes are performed by the autonomous vehicle 10.

For example, in such a dispatch system, after a vehicle 112 (see, forexample, FIG. 14) that is to be dispatched is selected by the user, thisvehicle 112 performs the subsequent various types of processes includinggeneration of a traveling route and subsequent change to the pickuplocation while independently performing communication with the mobileterminal 70.

For example, for pickup, in response to selection of one of theselection buttons 105E, 105F, 105G, 105H, and 1051 (FIG. 12) through,for example, tapping by the user (S22), vehicle information such as anidentification code for the selected autonomous vehicle (vehicle that isto be dispatched) is transmitted from the mobile terminal 70 to thevehicle control device 50. The vehicle control device 50 provides adispatch instruction to the vehicle 112 that is to be dispatched (FIG.13). This dispatch instruction contains information concerning aposition of the mobile terminal 70 (terminal position), anidentification code for the mobile terminal 70, the user account ID, andthe user's name, pickup location, and destination.

In response to the dispatch instruction, the traveling route generator47 of the vehicle 112 that is to be dispatched generates a travelingroute that connects from the current location of the vehicle itself tothe destination 106 via the pickup location 107 (S124). Then, based onthe generated traveling route, the arrival time calculator 46 calculatesan estimated time of pickup location arrival and an estimated time ofdestination arrival (S126).

The navigation map generator 45 then generates data including the mapimage 100 with the traveling route superimposed thereon. The transceiver43 transmits this data to the mobile terminal 70 along with informationconcerning the estimated time of pickup location arrival and theestimated time of destination arrival (S128).

Subsequently, the dispatched vehicle 112 performs autonomous drivingtoward the pickup location 107 along the traveling route 111 asillustrated in FIG. 13 (S30). During autonomous driving, the transceiver43 intermittently obtains the position of the mobile terminal 70 (userterminal), that is, the terminal position 103 while the dispatchedvehicle 112 is on its way to pick up the user, or, in other words,moving from the parking lot 108A to the pickup location 107 (S132).

The traveling route generator 47 determines whether or not the distancebetween the pickup location 107 and the terminal position 103 hasincreased compared to that when the previous terminal position wasobtained (S134). In response to the determination that this distance hasincreased, the traveling route generator 47 then designates the mostrecently received terminal position 103 as a new pickup location 117(S136). Returning to step S124 in the flowchart of FIG. 16, thetraveling route generator 47 generates a traveling route that passesthrough the new pickup location 117. In response, the autonomous drivingcontroller 42 performs driving control based on the regeneratedtraveling route.

Returning to step S134 again, when the distance between the pickuplocation 107 and the terminal position 103 is the same as or hasdecreased compared to that when the previous terminal position wasobtained, autonomous driving of the dispatched vehicle 112 is continuedalong the existing traveling route 111.

The dispatched vehicle 112 obtains position information from theposition determiner 13 and determines whether or not the dispatchedvehicle 112 itself has arrived at the pickup location 107 (S38), and inresponse to the determination that it has arrived at the pickup location107, the dispatched vehicle 112 stops there (S40) and waits for the userto enter the vehicle. After the dispatched vehicle 112 transmits to themobile terminal 70 (user terminal) an announcement that the dispatchedvehicle 112 has arrived at the pickup location, and confirms the user'sentry (S142 and S144), the dispatched vehicle 112 resumes autonomousdriving to the destination (S46, S48, S150, and S152).

The present disclosure is not limited to the present embodimentsdescribed above, and includes all changes and modifications withoutdeparting from the technical scope or the essence of the presentdisclosure defined by the claims.

1. An autonomous vehicle dispatch system comprising: a mobile terminalcarried by a user, the mobile terminal including an input unit that iscapable of receiving input of a dispatch request and a destination and aposition determiner that is capable of obtaining a terminal positionwhich is its own current position; and an autonomous vehicle that, inaccordance with the dispatch request, is designated as a vehicle that isto be dispatched, wherein the autonomous vehicle includes an autonomousdriving controller that performs driving control so as to track themobile terminal based on the terminal position while on its way to pickup the user.
 2. The autonomous vehicle dispatch system according toclaim 1, comprising: a vehicle control device that is capable ofcommunication with the mobile terminal and the autonomous vehicle,wherein the input unit of the mobile terminal is capable of receivinginput of one of the terminal position and a nearby waiting locationprovided around the terminal position as a pickup location, wherein thevehicle control device comprising: a traveling route generator thatgenerates a traveling route that connects from a current position of theautonomous vehicle to the destination via the pickup location; and atransceiver that is capable of transmitting information concerning thetraveling route to the autonomous vehicle, wherein, after reception ofthe dispatch request, the transceiver intermittently receivesinformation concerning the terminal position from the mobile terminal,wherein, in response to detecting, based on the intermittently receivedterminal position, that the mobile terminal is moving away from thepickup location over time, the traveling route generator designates themost recently received terminal position as a new pickup location andregenerates a traveling route that passes through the new pickuplocation, and wherein the autonomous driving controller of theautonomous vehicle performs the driving control based on the regeneratedtraveling route.
 3. The autonomous vehicle dispatch system according toclaim 2, wherein the mobile terminal includes a display that is capableof displaying a map image which depicts the traveling route.
 4. Theautonomous vehicle dispatch system according to claim 3, wherein thevehicle control device includes an arrival time calculator thatcalculates an estimated time of arrival at which the dispatched vehicleis expected to arrive at the pickup location, wherein the display of themobile terminal is capable of displaying the estimated time of arrival.5. An autonomous vehicle that is capable of communication with a mobileterminal, the mobile terminal including an input unit that is capable ofreceiving input of a dispatch request and a destination and a positiondeterminer that is capable of obtaining a terminal position which is itsown current position, wherein, in response to output of the dispatchrequest from the mobile terminal, in accordance with the dispatchrequest, the autonomous vehicle is designated as a vehicle that is to bedispatched, and wherein the autonomous vehicle includes an autonomousdriving controller that performs driving control so as to track themobile terminal based on the terminal position while on its way to pickup the user.
 6. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 5, wherein theinput unit of the mobile terminal is capable of receiving input of oneof the terminal position and a nearby waiting location provided aroundthe terminal position as a pickup location, wherein the autonomousvehicle includes a traveling route generator that generates a travelingroute that connects from a self vehicle position to the destination viathe pickup location, wherein, after reception of the dispatch request,in response to detecting, based on the terminal position that isintermittently output from the mobile terminal, that the mobile terminalis moving away from the pickup location over time, the traveling routegenerator designates the most recently received terminal position as anew pickup location and regenerates a traveling route that passesthrough the new pickup location, and wherein the autonomous drivingcontroller performs the driving control based on the regeneratedtraveling route.
 7. A mobile terminal comprising: an input unit that iscapable of receiving input of a dispatch request and a destination; anda position determiner that is capable of obtaining a terminal positionwhich is its own current position, wherein the input unit is capable ofreceiving input of one of the terminal position and a nearby waitinglocation provided around the terminal position as a pickup location foran autonomous vehicle that, in accordance with the dispatch request, isdesignated as a vehicle that is to be dispatched.
 8. The mobile terminalaccording to claim 7, comprising: a display that is capable ofdisplaying a map image which depicts a traveling route that connectsfrom a current position of the autonomous vehicle to the destination viathe pickup location, wherein, in response to the mobile terminal itselfmoving away from the pickup location over time, the display displays thetraveling route for which the most recent terminal position isdesignated as a new pickup location, and which is regenerated so as topass through the new pickup location.
 9. The mobile terminal accordingto claim 8, wherein the display is capable of displaying an estimatedtime of arrival at which the dispatched vehicle is expected to arrive atthe pickup location.